T ;he modern mountain bike is a complex machine. Some riders only want to keep up with routine maintenance, but others find it valuable and fun to try to understand exactlywhat they’re riding and whether it’s working properly and to its fullpotential. Over the years we’ve learned how to use the most pre-cise digital tools out there to dissect the ins and outs of how wella bike is working. Some of these tips are just for fun; others maysave precious grams and the heartache of a damaged component.

These are the
tools of the trade
when it comes
to truly understanding your
bike. We’re using
a digital caliper,
a gram scale, a
metric tape measure and a digital
shock pump to
dial in our bike.

Whenever we get a new test bike, one of the first things we check
is frame alignment. While few frames are exactly perfect, it’s a
good indicator for how well the frame is built. Remove the wheel
to start.

Frame measurements are usually easier done with the components removed.